SCORE counselors help small businesses get off the ground

Entrepreneurs who plan to open a new business should take advantage of the free, expert advice offered by SCORE, located at Kent State University at Stark. The roster of SCORE’S volunteer business counselors reads like a Who’s Who in Business.

Barbara Winston did it, but says her success is thanks to the expert help she got from SCORE.

“I don’t know how I would have continued through the roadblocks,” said Winston, CEO of Executive Insurance Group in Jackson Township, now in its 33rd year.

Winston has come full circle, from mentee to mentor for SCORE.

“I believe in giving back, paying it forward. I’m so passionate about entrepreneurs, I spend 3 to 4 hours a week counseling,” she said.

SCORE, the organization formerly known as Service Corps of Retired Executives, adopted the acronym as its official name when the description grew outdated.

“Just like AARP used to be “retired people” until their membership grew to include so many that weren’t retired, our counselors aren’t all retired, so we’re just SCORE now,” explained Mike Johnson, chairman of the Canton Regional SCORE chapter.

The 35 volunteer counselors who work out of offices in the University Center at Kent State Stark campus, range in age from 35 to 80. Their roster reads like a Who’s Who in Business, with employees and retirees from Timken, Sony Corp., Revlon, Goodyear, Diebold, Lockheed Martin Corp., Hoover, Stern & Mann, various banks, the construction industry, various universities and the military.

SCORE counseling is offered by phone, face-to-face and online.

Two years ago, Ray Rovira and his wife, Diane, decided to open a small-batch winery that allows customers to make and bottle their own customized wine.

“This is huge in Canada. Gigantic,” Ray Rovira said. “But there was nothing like it in Stark County.”

While searching the Internet for a business plan, they stumbled onto the SCORE website.

“We thought, let’s take advantage of this service,” Rovira said. “They had a 32-page business plan (on their website), so we spent two months doing the research, finding the information.”

Armed with the completed 32-page plan, they made an appointment with Mike Johnson at the SCORE office.

“Mike took a look at our plan and said, “Wow, I don’t think we’ve ever had anyone fill this out. You know we do have an eight-page version.” Rovira laughed, then added, “But it made us think, made us focus.”

The Roviras worked with several counselors, including a marketing expert, a production expert, and a financial expert.

Winston said the specialized backgrounds of the SCORE counselors, from engineering to law to accounting, ensures that no matter what problem is presented, there is someone on call who can solve that problem.

“I love the diversity at SCORE,” Winston said. “The skill sets, the backgrounds from small business to big business, Canton natives to those who worked elsewhere and retired here.”

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In addition to helping entrepreneurs hoping to launch a business, SCORE works with newer small businesses who have hit a snag. Cassel Bear, a branding, graphic design and marketing firm in Canton, had been operational for several years when “efficiency problems” prompted owner Karl Bear to contact SCORE.

“We hit that stage where we needed some outside expertise,” Bear said. “We went for financial advice, as well as operations advice. They are a good sounding board. Each person we met with had a different background. We met someone who ran their own business, and a comptroller for another company. They shed a lot of light on our problems.”

SCORE was founded in 1964, and the Canton Regional office, which serves Stark, Homes, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties, opened 22 years ago.

Despite a sagging economy, Winston says the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the Canton area. She hopes more people will take advantage of SCORE’s services.

“It’s still the best kept secret in town, and it’s free!” Winston said. “These are volunteers giving back. They work with a common goal, to encourage and promote growth and profitability for new and emerging companies.”